Notice2023-05837
Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Campbell Tract Special Recreation Management Area, Anchorage, Alaska, and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment
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Published
March 22, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska State Director intends to prepare a resource management plan (RMP) amendment with an associated environmental assessment (EA) for the Campbell Tract Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Designation Amendment. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and seek input on issues and planning criteria.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17263-17264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05837]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAKA01200.L1220000.DA0000.234; BLM_AK_FRN_MO4500169067]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the
Campbell Tract Special Recreation Management Area, Anchorage, Alaska,
and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska State
Director intends to prepare a resource management plan (RMP) amendment
with an associated environmental assessment (EA) for the Campbell Tract
Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Designation Amendment. This notice announces
the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and
seek input on issues and planning criteria.
DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of
relevant information and studies by April 21, 2023. To afford the BLM
the opportunity to consider issues, please ensure your comments are
received prior to the close of 30-day scoping period or 15 days after
the last public meeting, whichever is later. The date(s) and time(s) of
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through
local news releases, newspapers, letters and/or postcards, local
stakeholder email list, and through BLM Alaska social media.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the RMP Amendment and EA addressing OHV route designation on
Campbell Tract by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022130/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022130/510</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#02606e6f5d63695d63646d5d65676c6770636e5d66676e6b7467707b42606e6f2c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="284a444577494377494e47774f4d464d5a4944774c4d44415e4d5a51684a4445064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Fax: (907) 267-1267.
<bullet> Mail: BLM, Campbell Tract OHV Designation Amendment,
Attn.: RMPA EA, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, AK 99507.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022130/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022130/510</a> and at the
Anchorage Field Office, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99507.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake Vialpando, Field Manager,
telephone (907) 267-1246; address 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, Alaska
99507; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#73111f1e2c12182c12151c2c14161d1601121f2c17161f1a0516010a33111f1e5d141c05"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4e2c2223112f25112f282111292b202b3c2f22112a2b2227382b3c370e2c222360292138">[email protected]</span></a>. Contact Jake
Vialpando to have your name added to our mailing list. Individuals in
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services for contacting Mr. Vialpando.
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Alaska State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an
associated EA for the Campbell Tract OHV Designation Amendment within
the Anchorage Field Office, announces the beginning of the scoping
process, and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The
RMP amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to conduct travel
management planning to evaluate authorizing electric bicycles (e-bikes)
on existing trails within the Campbell Tract Special Recreation
Management Area (SRMA), which would require amending the existing 2008
Ring of Fire RMP.
The planning area is in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, and
encompasses approximately 730 acres of public land. The Campbell Tract
SRMA is in an urban setting where the routes are connected to municipal
park land in Far North Bicentennial Park and adjacent state park lands
in Chugach State Park, both of which currently authorize specific types
of electric vehicles where traditional bicycles are allowed.
[[Page 17264]]
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the project is to establish management guidance
specific to OHV use, including e-bikes, on public lands within the
Campbell Tract SRMA. The need for this planning effort is to provide
for recreation opportunities for a wide variety of user groups in a
multi-use setting appropriate for a variety of recreation uses. The
2008 Ring of Fire RMP currently identifies the Campbell Tract SRMA as
closed for OHVs. There is a need to amend the Ring of Fire RMP to allow
for consideration of management of e-bikes on existing trails.
Preliminary Alternatives
The RMP amendment process will consider whether revising the
Campbell Tract SRMA OHV designation from ``Closed'' to ``Limited by
vehicle type'', would be allowed, which could authorize vehicles such
as Class I e-bikes to be used on the trail system. Preliminary
alternatives include the No Action Alternative and the Proposed Action:
changing the current OHV designation of ``Closed'' to ``Limited by
Vehicle Type'' to potentially allow for advances in recreational
electric vehicle technology and provide a seamless recreation trail
experience with adjacent park lands. The BLM welcomes comments on all
preliminary alternatives, as well as suggestions for additional
alternatives.
Planning Criteria
The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning
area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local
agencies, Tribes, and other stakeholders. The BLM has identified eleven
preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis. The planning
criteria are available for public review and comment at the ePlanning
website (see ADDRESSES).
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and
analysis of the RMP Amendment and EA.
The BLM public scoping meeting for this project will be in person
and/or virtual. Public comments will be accepted at the scoping
meeting. The specific date(s) and location(s) of the scoping meeting
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media,
newspapers, and the project ePlanning page. You may submit comments to
the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section
previously.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in this planning effort: cultural/Tribal, fisheries,
hazardous material, hydrology, lands, range/wildlife/threatened and
endangered species, recreation/travel management/visual, riparian,
subsistence, vegetation, and environmental education.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan
amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not
already included in the proposed plan amendment or alternatives.
Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization, rectification,
reduction or elimination over time, and compensation; and may be
considered at multiple scales, including the landscape scale.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16
U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public
involvement requirements of Section 106. The information about historic
and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the
area potentially affected by the proposed plan will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
The BLM will consult with Alaska Native Corporations and Alaska
Native Tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with
Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 1780, and other Departmental policies.
Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Alaska Native Tribes and
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed
Campbell Tract OHV Designation Amendment that the BLM is evaluating,
are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may
request or be requested by the BLM to participate in the development of
the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2)
Steven M. Cohn,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-05837 Filed 3-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-10-P
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